UK general election 2024 LIVE: Exit poll shows Labour on course for landslide victory with official results to be declared in the early hours

Labour deputy Angela Rayner was grinning from ear to ear as she reacted to the exit poll giving Labour a landslide majority of 170 seats.

Ms Rayner said the poll was 'encouraging' as she spoke to Sky News from Manchester during heavy rain.

Speaking to Channel 4, Ms Rayner said: ''The exit poll is incredibly encouraging and I think it shows Keir's done a tremendous job transforming the party' since Jeremy Corbyn.'

Watch her interview on Sky News:

Jason Groves reports allies of Mr Sunak are tight-lipped about whether he will resign as Tory leader today or stay on to oversee a leadership contest.

But he will face intense pressure to quit immediately.

Former minister Dame Andrea Jenkyns said:

If the leader doesn’t win a general election they step aside – that’s the normal protocol.

One senior Tory said: ‘This is the end for Sunak, Sunakism and everyone involved in it. It has been comprehensively rejected by the public and his decision to force out Boris Johnson can be seen for what it was – a disastrous mistake.’

The Daily Mail's Political Editor Jason Groves reports Sir Keir Starmer is on course for No 10 as the Tories crash to their worst defeat in history.

The official exit poll at 10pm predicts Labour will secure a huge majority of 170 – potentially setting up Sir Keir for a decade in power.

It forecast a crushing defeat for Rishi Sunak, whose controversial decision to call a snap election looks set to end in disaster.

It suggested Labour would win 410 seats, with the Conservatives on 131 and the Liberal Democrats on 61.

Reform is predicted to win 13 seats, while the SNP are set to suffer from the Labour surge and crash back to ten seats.

The projected Labour majority of 170 is nine short of Tony Blair’s 1997 win.

And although the Conservative Party is set to avoid total wipeout, it faces a long road to electoral recovery.

The prediction of 131 would be the lowest number of seats the Tories have had since the Conservative Party was founded in 1834. Former minister Steve Baker said it was a ‘pretty devastating night’ for the party.

The BBC's election night presenters Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie apologised to studio guest Steve Baker (pictured on Peston) for showing on screen a graphic suggesting he has a less than one per cent chance of holding on to his Wycombe seat.

He replied by saying he came into the campaign knowing he was 'widely expected to lose'.

I would think the dynamic in Wycombe is slightly different, I think my chances are a bit better.

It's just possible there's a path to winning narrowly, but I absolutely accept the polls indicate it's a very slight chance.

It's going to be an extremely painful night not only for colleagues but also their staff. It's a pretty devastating night for the Conservative party.

We can now bring you video of Conservative candidate and former justice secretary Robert Buckland to tonight's exit poll.

Watch the video below:

The SNP's former deputy leader Mhairi Black told Channel 4 News that 'rain' is partly to blame for her party's decimation.

The Scottish nationalists are projected to get just 10 seats, down from 48 in 2019.

She said:

The question was always how rough a night the SNP would have and if that exit poll's correct it's a really rough night.

Ms Black added there were three factors in the projection: the desire to get rid of the Conservatives, scandal within the SNP and turnout - which she said would be lower due to poor weather in Scotland.

Labour’s national campaign chief Pat McFadden said: Keir Starmer’s transformation of the Labour Party has been 'remarkable'.

He has put country before party and has transformed Labour from a party focused on itself to one back in the service of the British public. We have campaigned as a changed Labour Party, ready to change Britain.

But despite the exit poll indicating a landslide win, he added:

It’s going to be a long night, and it will be several hours until we know the full picture of results.

Labour will need a swing bigger than Tony Blair achieved in 1997 to achieve a majority of just one seat.

Sir Robert Buckland, the former Conservative cabinet minister, has given his reaction after the devastating exit poll for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives.

He told Sky News:

We have to respect the scale of this likely defeat and learn from it.

It's going to take some time to come back from this. I was a candidate in 1997, I know what it's like to taste bitter defeat... The time for recrimination is not now. A lot needs to looked at in terms of the cumulative build up events that led to this whole scale rejection of Tories.

It would be a mistake for people in my party to jump to a conclusion that somehow allying with Reform would be the way forward.

This is going to a take a long time to recover.

Reform UK member Anne Widdicombe agreed she is 'jumping for joy' over the party's projected seat total.

She said she hopes the 'Conservatives might see sense' and 'come and join us' after the exit poll showed her new party will win 13 seats.

The former Tory MP - who was plagued by a cough during her answers - joined Reform, now led by Nigel Farage, after Brexit.

Speaking on Channel 4, she said the Conservatives 'need to have a jolly good look at what they are doing and think again'.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has welcomed the exit poll which estimates his party will win 61 seats in the general election.

He said:

The Liberal Democrats are on course for our best results in a century, thanks to our positive campaign with health and care at its heart.

I am humbled by the millions of people who backed the Liberal Democrats to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.

Every Liberal Democrat MP will be a strong local champion for their community standing up for the NHS and care. Whether you voted for us or not, we will work day in and day out and we will not let you down.

The man poised to be Britain's next Prime Minister has voted campaigners and voters after an exit poll showed he will lead a majority in Number 10.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has just posted his first tweet since the exit poll was published.

Labour is on course for a landslide, according to the exit poll projection, with 410 seats.

Let's take a look at the early projection in numbers

• Labour - 410 seats
• Conservatives - 131
• Liberal Democrats - 61
• Reform UK - 13
• Green Party - 2
• SNP - 10
• Plaid Cymru - 4

If accurate, it would be the lowest number Tory MPs on record.

Read our breaking news story on the exit poll

The exit poll shows Labour is on course for a landslide majority with 410 seats.

If you know much about polling you'll have heard of Sir John Curtice.

Sir John, one of Britain's most eminent political scientists, will know the exit poll result before 10pm.

However, he risks imprisonment if he discloses the result, as publishing any information about voting outcomes

Watch the video below on how he copes on election night

Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden has been knighted, while former deputy prime minister Therese Coffey has been made a dame.

The two Conservatives have been given top honours alongside three other party colleagues, with ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace and former chief whip Julian Smith both made knight commanders of the Order of the Bath, while former Scottish secretary Alister Jack has been made a knight of the Order of the British Empire.

Rishi Sunak has rewarded his right-hand man Liam Booth-Smith with a peerage, announced less than an hour before polls closed in the General Election.

Lord Booth-Smith, who had been Mr Sunak’s chief of staff in Downing Street, was included in the Prime Minister’s dissolution honours list.

Former prime minister Theresa May, ex-Cabinet minister Chris Grayling and former chairman of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady will also take seats in the House of Lords.

Former deputy speaker Dame Eleanor Laing and ex-MP Craig Mackinlay, who has battled sepsis which cost him his hands and feet, have also been given peerages.

Former Cop26 president and Cabinet minister Sir Alok Sharma has also been made a peer.

At 10pm, we will learn the outcome of an exit poll which will give us the first indication of who has won the general election.

The poll itself is carried out by polling company Ipsos, jointly for BBC News, ITV News and Sky News.

It is calculated after voters at more than 130 polling stations are asked to fill in a mock ballot paper to indicate how they voted.

The actual results may vary but exit polls have proved to be accurate in recording previous elections.

Read more here:

Nigel Farage urged voters to head to their nearest polling station to back Reform in a video message earlier this evening.

The Reform UK leader shared a clip on his X page at around 7pm to persuade people returning from work who hadn't voted.

Mr Farage said: 'Please go out and do it, please go out and vote Reform UK. Don't do it me do it for yourselves, we're the only ones standing up for a brighter future'

See the video below

Voters now have just one hour to cast their ballots in the 2024 general election.

Party leaders, millions of members of the public and plenty of dogs have visited polling stations across Britain as the country elects its new Parliament.

We will learn the exit poll when the polls shut at 10pm before votes are counted and results declared across the country.

Stick with us for live coverage throughout the night.

The question many of you will ask yourselves tonight is what time to go to bed.

After the drama of the exit poll at 10pm there will be a wait for the results as counting takes place up and down the country.

In what promises to be a seismic election, MailOnline has put together a handy graphic detailing some of the key moments to look out for.

Rishi Sunak has issued a final appeal to voters to back the Conservatives at the ballot box warning them against handing a 'blank cheque' to Sir Keir Starmer.

See the Prime Minister's words below with less than two hours to go before the polls close.

See the video below:

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was the first party leader to be pictured casting his vote on election day before others visited polling stations across the country.

Let's take a look at the men and women who face a make or break moment in the early hours after votes have been counted.

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader

Carla Denyer, Green Party co-leader

Sir Ed Davey, Liberal Democrats leader

Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader

Former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has joined Labour campaigners in Islington North to try and defeat his former boss Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Corbyn, who led the party in its disastrous 2019 election, is standing as an Independent in North London.

Mr Watson stood down as an MP in 2019.

As millions of people head to polling stations today, MailOnline has asked the all important question...which election candidates would you Snog, Marry or Avoid?

Our reporters took to the streets and put Brits on the spot as they reluctantly picked between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Reform UK's Nigel Farage.

See the results below:

A last major poll update this afternoon showed Labour's predicted majority dropping slightly to 270 seats as the general election entered its final hours.

An updated 'MRP' projection by Survation showed Sir Keir Starmer's party winning 470 seats, with the Tories reduced to 68 MPs in the House of Commons, just slightly ahead of the Liberal Democrats on 59.

Nigel Farage's Reform UK were on course to win 15 seats, nudging them one MP ahead of the SNP to likely become the UK's fourth-largest party.

Read Greg Heffer's report here:

Evening all,

The polls will close in just three hours before all the votes are counted and we learn who will be the next Prime Minister and our MPs.

We will bring you live coverage from throughout the evening and into Friday.

Labour will win a landslide majority - but many aren't happy - and several Gen-Zers admit they recall the leaders of the main political parties including Rishi Sunak because they are 'c**p' at remembering names, a MailOnline poll of readers reveals today.

Read the full story from chief reporter Martin Robinson:

Picture editors at the Agence France-Presse have compiled their top five photos from the General Election day so far. The first three are from Clacton-on-Sea.

The fourth image is a polling station at The Old Fire Station in Hackney, and the fifth is of Roly the dog in Sowerby, North Yorkshire.

Hundreds of dogs have appeared at polling stations today wearing bows, rosettes and colourful leads as the public go to vote in the General Election.

Here are some of the best pictures taken so far today:

Former prime minister Liz Truss has voted at Downham Market Town Council in Norfolk today and tweeted a photo of her outside.

By 5am tomorrow morning, she will learn if she is back in her seat of Norfolk South West, where she is defending a majority of 24,180.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is rallying up the final support for his campaign in Clacton-on-Sea today, travelling around the town on an army vehicle.

It comes after he entered his party's rally at the Essex town's pier yesterday on the same vehicle to the tune of Without Me by Eminem.

Huge queues are forming at a polling station in the Hampstead and Highgate constituency in North London where Labour's Tulip Siddiq is standing.

A post on X today showed SNP leader John Swinney in central Glasgow with an anti-SNP slogan written in chalk on the wall behind him.

But the slogan has been digitally added to the picture.

It comes after an SNP staff member uploaded a series of pictures of Mr Swinney in central Glasgow on June 29. The third of these shows the same picture, but without the offending graffiti.

The edited image appeared on X shortly afterwards.

On closer inspection, the text appears to be written in a default font available on Microsoft applications - 'Chiller' - as evidenced by matching characters. This further suggests the text was added after the picture was taken.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt is one of six candidates in the new constituency of Godalming & Ash in Surrey, and has posted a video on X of him going into the polling station today.

He said: 'I think you know who I'm going to vote for!'

Mr Hunt could be at risk in the area, where he is defending a notional Tory majority of 10,720.

The seat has been heavily targeted by the Lib Dems, who need a swing of 9.7 points to win. A result is due at about 3.30am.

The exit poll is conducted each year by a consortium of broadcasters as an early prediction of how the vote may have swung.

Unlike a regular poll which asks voters what they might do in the election, the exit poll asks people who they have voted for as they leave their polling station.

Luckily for those with an early bedtime, scientists generally agree that the exit poll is a fairly accurate representation of the real vote. Read more on MailOnline:

'Britain's most tattooed woman' Becky Holt made headlines yesterday for an awkward run-in with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on ITV's This Morning.

She started her tattoo journey when she was 15 years old. Now, 21 years on and £40,000 later, she has tattooed almost every inch of her body.

Read about her incredible transformation in this new story on MailOnline today:

Earlier we brought you the MailOnline General Election Drinking Game which we've devised as a bit of fun to get through tonight.

Now, we've put together a new graphic with all the rules in one place:

The hashtag #dogsatpollingstations has become a highlight of election days for animal lovers online as people share photos of themselves exercising their pets and democratic rights at the same time – and this year has not disappointed.

Now, some pet owners have extended the trend further to include their cats, with an attempt to get the hashtag #catsatpollingstations going too:

Kemi Badenoch has attacked the local council in her North West Essex seat for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who have not received their ballots.

The Cabinet minister said up to 2,600 voters were affected by Uttlesford District Council 'forgetting' to send them their postal votes.

Writing on X on polling day, Ms Badenoch said: 'Five years ago, all but four Conservatives on Uttlesford council were voted out. People wanted 'Change'. Instead, they got 'Change for the WORSE', electing an independent residents group who ran a blame-the-Tories campaign.

'The community is now saddled with a council leadership unable to carry out basic functions competently... Now they've potentially disenfranchised up to 2,600 postal voters by FORGETTING to send them their ballot papers.'

The council's chief executive, Peter Holt, last week said he was 'mortified' and apologised for the error.

He said the council was delivering postal ballots by hand in a bid to resolve the matter, but warned a close result on election night could be challenged if a large proportion are not returned.

Actor Tony Robinson is among the celebrities who have been casting their ballots and encouraging others to vote in the General Election.

The Blackadder star shared a video of himself singing and dancing as he walked into his local polling station, holding his passport for photo ID.

He wrote: 'Vote TODAY. Vote Change. Vote Labour.'

Labour's Rachel Reeves has suggested she will demolish Jeremy Hunt's private urinal in the Treasury if she succeeds him as Chancellor.

Speaking ahead of today's general election, Ms Reeves hinted she would flush away all traces of her Tory predecessor if she's installed as Britain's first female Chancellor.

MailOnline's political correspondent Greg Heffer has the full story:

Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has also voted today, and has now posted a video of him outside a polling station on Anglesey in North Wales:

There are dogs outside polling stations and then there are dogs outside polling stations!

Here, dozens of hounds from The Hursley Hambledon Hunt have been seen waiting outside the Meonstoke Village Hall polling station in the Hampshire countryside while members of the hunt cast their vote during their daily walk:

Scotland's political leaders were among the first to cast their votes as the nation’s polling stations opened their doors at 7am.

Scottish Conservatives urged everyone to have their say in a bid to deliver a knockout blow to the failing SNP.

Read the full story from Scottish Daily Mail reporter Krissy Storrar:

The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, have now cast their votes in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively.

Mr Harvie was pictured giving a thumbs up as he cycled to a polling station at Notre Dame Primary School in Glasgow.

And Ms Slater took a selfie outside a polling station at Holyrood Evangelical Church in Edinburgh.

The Electoral Commission states that there are safeguards in place to prevent tampering with ballot papers.

Seals are attached to ballot boxes at the close of voting, and are removed only when the count begins.

Candidates are allowed to monitor the process and attach their own seals if they wish, and to check them before ballot boxes are opened.

The police investigated just 13 allegations of tampering with ballot papers during the 2019 general election, with only one leading to a conviction.

This was after a person entered a polling station and took hold of a ballot box, preventing other people from voting.

Despite six weeks of debates, manifestos and campaigning, more people are still undecided about how to vote today than at any previous General Election in living memory, writes MICHAEL HOWARD.

I have knocked on countless doors over many years, but never before have I come across so many yet to make up their minds. They are not being coy, or polite. I’m long enough in the tooth to know when people are concealing their true beliefs.

Read his full column on MailOnline this afternoon:

It's a lovely sunny day in London today, with photographers taking these shots of the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben across the River Thames this afternoon:

Remainers were gloating today about the end of Brexit amid widespread expectations the general election will see the Tories booted out of office.

As millions of Brits headed to polling stations, those opposed to the UK's exit from the EU urged an incoming Labour government to think again on links with Brussels.

Guy Verhofstadt, the former Belgian prime minister who represented the European Parliament in Brexit talks, reckoned 'peak Brexit' had already been reached.

And Mike Galsworthy, chairman of pro-Remain campaign group European Movement UK, said polling day was the day 'the Brexit dream shuts up shop'.

Read the full story from MailOnline's political correspondent Greg Heffer:

Broadcast journalists are working in Downing Street this afternoon while others are setting up cameras ready for the votes to start coming in tonight.

It's a beautiful sunny day in Clacton-on-Sea today, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage going for a walkabout and others enjoying a drink outside:

The last constituencies expected to be declared in the UK are the following six at 6.30am tomorrow morning:

• Argyll, Bute & South Lochaber
• Farnham & Bordon
• Ilford North
• Ilford South
• Selby
• Wetherby & Easingwold

The Metropolitan Police has just tweeted that its officers are 'out and about today as Londoners go to vote', adding: 'If you see us, do say hello.'

Broadcasters are planning extensive coverage of the election tonight. Most coverage will begin as voting ends across the country and run through the night.

Here is what is happening on each TV channel:

• BBC One: Beginning at 9.55pm, the BBC's election night coverage will be led by Clive Myrie and Laura Kuenessberg, while the pair will be assisted by the corporation's political editor, Chris Mason.
• ITV: ITV's election coverage will be anchored by Tom Bradby and he will be joined by former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, and former Labour minister Ed Balls. Coverage will begin at 9.50pm.
• Sky News: The coverage on Sky News will begin at 9pm, and be led by Kay Burley, in the studio normally used for the broadcaster's Monday Night Football programme. She will be joined by Beth Rigby, Sir Trevor Phillips and Ed Conway.
• Channel 4: At 9.45pm, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Emily Maitlis will head up Channel 4's coverage, where they will be joined by The Rest Is Politics podcast hosts Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. Cathy Newman will be presenting from the Conservative and Labour campaign headquarters.
• GB News: Camilla Tominey and Stephen Dixon will host GB News's live studio results coverage, which will begin at 9.55pm. Studio guests will include Kwasi Kwarteng, Sir Brandon Lewis, Luciana Berger, James Heappey and Sir Graham Brady.

Photographers around the UK have been taking pictures outside polling stations today - including this one at the Church of St Barnabas in Pimlico, where two men were seen arriving on a motorcycle, and a woman took a selfie with a child:

A final general election poll has shown Labour dropping five percentage points in a week - although the Tories continued to languish at their lowest-ever level.

The last Ipsos survey before polling stations opened at 7am today put Sir Keir Starmer's party on a 37 per cent vote share - giving Labour an 18-point lead over the Conservatives, who were unchanged on 19 per cent.

Despite Labour's support falling to its lowest level since 2021, the pollster said Sir Keir would enter Downing Street tomorrow with a 'healthy majority' amid wider expectations of a landslide win for the party.

Here is the full story from MailOnline's political correspondent Greg Heffer:

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill voted at the polling station at St Patrick's Primary School in Clonoe, Co Tyrone.

She briefly spoke with a Sinn Fein member outside the polling station. Ms O'Neill spent several minutes inside to cast her vote.

Asked by photographers for a thumbs-up, she laughed and said: 'Will a smile do?'

As she left the polling station, she shouted goodbye to local children and waved to voters.

The Met Office has just released an updated forecast video, showing how it will be a windy afternoon in the North and Scotland but breezy and warm elsewhere:

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill has arrived to cast her vote in the General Election at St Patrick's Primary School in Coalisland:

Constituents are pictured this afternoon outside what is thought to be the UK's most southerly polling station in The Lizard, near Helston, Cornwall:

Rishi Sunak met Becky Holt, the woman dubbed Britain’s most tattooed mother, yesterday after they both appeared on ITV’s This Morning.

The 35-year-old from Cheshire stripped down to a bikini to show off her body art and was later seen in a bathrobe chatting to the Prime Minister.

Asked what his choice of tattoo would be, Mr Sunak said the badge of his favourite football team, Southampton. ‘I’d probably get the Saints crest,’ he said, adding that it’s ‘a great logo’.

Today, Ms Holt posted a picture of their meeting on Instagram, saying: ‘Best of luck today @rishisunakmp in the general election. Please do let me know when you’re ready to let me help you choose your tattoo…’

These are the latest scenes outside 10 Downing Street today as Larry the cat, known as the 'Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office', sits in the sunshine:

MailOnline has devised an election night drinking game to help you get through watching the count come in. Click below for all the details:

Chelsea pensioners have also been among those voting today.

Here, some are pictured walking to and returning from a polling station set up at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London today:

While southern England is enjoying warm sunshine today, the weather is very different north of the border with parts of Scotland suffering heavy rain.

Here, people are pictured leaving Pollokshields Burgh Halls in Glasgow during heavy rain after casting their vote in the General Election:

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage eats an ice cream on the day of the general election in Clacton-on-Sea this morning

From 7am until 10pm, millions of Britons will head to polling stations to cast their vote in the first Westminster contest since 2019.

And the stars are among them as the likes of Lizzie Cundy , Myleene Klass , Ashley James , Piers Morgan and Charles Dance took part in the voting.

Read the full story and see all the photos on MailOnline today:

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long and her husband Michael voted at the polling station at St Colmcille's parochial hall in east Belfast today.

They brought their dog Daisy with them.

Asked if she felt confident, Ms Long told reporters: 'I'm feeling relaxed, we'll see. Confidence is never a good thing, I'm just relaxed.'

The couple had to shelter for several minutes inside the polling station before leaving due to the intensity of a sudden downpour outside.

Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, walked to vote at Redland Park United Reformed Church on Whiteladies Road in Bristol, this morning.

Ms Denyer, wearing a striped dress, dark green cardigan and green rosette, was accompanied by supporters for the walk to the polling station.

She greeted photographers and reporters outside the church, situated in a busy shopping area of Bristol, before going inside to cast her vote.

The Bristol Central candidate, a former councillor for the Clifton Down ward, then came outside and posed for photographs before walking away with supporters.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage has been pictured walking through Clacton-on-Sea this morning as he stands for election in the Essex seaside town.

When Rishi Sunak announced on May 22 that he was calling the election, Mr Farage said he would not be taking part, instead spending the summer in the US, campaigning for his friend Donald Trump.

A week later all that changed as he declared he would not only be taking back the party leadership, but he would be standing in Clacton, with the aim of making Reform the main party of opposition by the time of the next election.

Emma Raducanu has revealed that she was unware voting for the UK general election was taking place today, after her sensational second round Wimbledon win.

The former US Open champion was not one pf those planning her day around a trip to the ballot box as she revealed that she did not know today was voting day.

Having made light work of Belgium's Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 yesterday afternoon, the 21-year-old was asked if she intended to vote before her practice session the following day.

'No,' she replied. 'I think I’ll have a lie-in, then I’ll come to practice. I didn’t even know it was tomorrow, to be honest! Thanks for letting me know.'

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Colum Eastwood cast his vote at the Model Primary School in Londonderry in his Foyle constituency.

Mr Eastwood was met by party activists as he arrived at the polling station and exchanged a hug with party MLA for the area Mark Durkan.

He did not speak to media but posed for photographs and selfies with supporters.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and his wife, Emily, have visited a polling station in Surbiton to vote.

Sir Ed said 'good morning everybody' to the assembled media and waved to the cameras.

As the pair prepared to enter Surbiton Hill Methodist Church, a voter left the polling station and wished Sir Ed 'good luck'.

As he exited the polling station, Sir Ed said: 'It's a beautiful day. I hope lots of people come out to vote.'

A new prime minister will travel to Downing Street, where they can be expected to give a speech in front of the famous Number 10 door.

They will then enter the building - traditionally applauded in by staff - and will meet the Cabinet Secretary, the most senior Civil Service adviser to the prime minister and cabinet.

A number of briefings will follow, covering a diverse range of topics: living arrangements for the new premier and family, the process for appointing ministers, urgent decisions on key policies, as well as security and intelligence information.

The prime minister writes letters to the commanders of the four nuclear submarines which provide the UK's at-sea deterrent, with instructions for what to do in the event of a nuclear strike that wipes out contact with the UK.

The prime minister will also start appointing their cabinet, typically inviting them into Number 10 to offer ministerial roles - anyone offered a position will have to meet with the propriety and ethics team to discuss potential conflicts of interest.

This process will continue over several days as more junior ministers, party whips and parliamentary private secretaries, are appointed, and will come interspersed with calls from world leaders, congratulating them on their new position.

Pictured: Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his then-girlfriend Carrie Symonds wave outside at 10 Downing Street in December 2019 after the Conservatives' victory.

Helen Montague, 44, took her dog Heston, who she said is her 'best friend', with her to vote at Marden polling station in Kent at 7am on the dot.

'Heston wanted to be the first dog at the polling station and he was,' Mrs Montague, a senior global manager at a finance company, said.

The Boston terrier wore a red bow as he is a fan of the accessory and was 'very excited' to accompany his owner to vote, she added.

'He knew that when we got to the polling station he would get a snack (chicken bites),' she added.

She said if Heston could share a message about election day, it would be: 'Please don't forget your ID and please don't forget to bring snacks for your dog at the polling station.'

Today sees the first General Election where voters will need to show photographic ID before they can receive their ballot paper following a law change in 2022.

From bringing children to furry friends, here is everything you need to know today about what you should do, and should not:

Mike Birtwistle, 46, took Reggie, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, to the polling station at Alexandra Park Library in North London at around 7.05am today.

Reggie wore a red rosette with a 'vote Labour' sticker on it as he posed for a photo.

'My daughter (Lila, 12) is running for Labour in her school mock election, so she got a rosette and she decided it would be nice to pin the rosette on Reggie's harness,' Mr Birtwistle, who is a consultant, said.

He added Reggie was 'very excited' to head to the polling station and has accompanied him to vote in the past.

'I don't think he's been on a successful election side, so hopefully this will be the first one where his choice of party actually wins,' he added.

He said if Reggie could share a message with people to encourage them to vote, he would say: 'As well as being able to exercise your democratic right, there's every chance you might meet a very nice dog at the polling station too, so it's a double win to get yourself down to the polling station to vote.'

Outgoing Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross cast his vote in Moray with his family.

Mr Ross, his wife Krystle and sons James and Alistair held hands heading towards the polling station at Fogwatt Hall in Longmorn, Elgin.

Mr Ross is standing as a candidate for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

Here is the latest list of times for when the first of the 650 constituency results are estimated to be declared tonight.

All timings are approximate and can be affected by issues such as delays in verifying and counting ballots, or by recounts.

11.30pm:

• Blyth & Ashington

11.45am:

• Houghton & Sunderland South

12.15am:

• Basildon & Billericay
• Swindon South

12.30am:

• Broxbourne
• Sunderland Central

12.45am:

• Cramlington & Killingworth
• Washington & Gateshead South

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar cast his vote at Pollokshields Burgh Hall in Glasgow, accompanied by his wife Furheen and son Aliyan.

After voting, he hugged and shook hands with Labour candidate for Glasgow South West Zubir Ahmed, and shook hands with Labour activists as well as an SNP activist.

A woman with a sign that read 'Starmer is a snake' approached and followed Mr Sarwar onto the street, before posing for pictures.

By the early hours of tomorrow, the vast majority of constituencies will have declared, and the country is likely to know which party has won the most seats.

What happens next depends on whether one party has earned a majority - 326 of the 650 seats. In reality, a working majority requires fewer seats because the Speaker and the three deputy speakers do not vote, and Sinn Fein MPs opt not to take their seats in Westminster.

If no party has a majority, then it becomes a hung parliament. In that case, the incumbent prime minister remains in power and is given the first chance to form a government - if they cannot form a government which commands the support of the majority of the House of Commons, they must resign to allow the King to invite someone else to try.

Governments without majorities can form coalitions with other parties, as was the case when the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats joined forces in 2010 (pictured below).

Or they could lead as a minority government, as happened to the Conservatives in 2017 when they governed with the support of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, an arrangement known as confidence and supply.

If one party wins a majority of seats, they will form the new government, and its leader will become the next prime minister.

If a new prime minister is to be appointed, the incumbent will visit the King and tender their resignation. The incoming prime minister arrives next and is formally asked by Charles to form a government.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie voted at Seagoe Primary School in Portadown this morning.

Mr Beattie greeted waiting media and posed for photographs as he arrived at the polling station.

He said: 'It is an important day, it is a day for the people to cast their votes. We have run a good campaign.'

Sir Keir Starmer made the short journey from his Kentish Town home to the polling station in Willingham Close TRA Hall to vote in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency.

Sir Keir and his wife, Victoria, arrived on foot and walked hand-in-hand into the hall tucked inside the housing estate while being flanked by police protection officers.

A crowd of local residents gathered to watch the Labour leader enter the polling station alongside dozens of national and international media.

Sir Keir wore a white shirt under a dark suit with a red tie as he greeted supporters lining the approach into the polling station.

A woman could be heard shouting 'free Palestine' as he entered the hall. He left through a back door out of sight of reporters.

Once every person still in the polling station queue at 10pm tonight has voted, the presiding officer seals the ballot box and delivers it to the local count centre.

Votes are first verified, with the number of votes in the ballot box checked against the paperwork from polling stations. Blank and spoiled papers, and those on which the voter's intention is unclear, are removed. Votes from the ballot box are mixed with postal votes before they are counted.

The first constituency results are expected to be announced within a couple of hours. In recent years, a Tyne-Wear derby has developed in the north-east of England, with constituencies racing to be the first to declare.

Newcastle upon Tyne Central (now replaced by Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West under new boundaries), declared at 11.27pm in 2019, ahead of Houghton and Sunderland South.

Meanwhile, politicians will be digesting the predictions of the exit poll. The results, broadcast at 10pm as the polling booths close, give the country the first idea of what to expect as the night progresses.

Exit polls are conducted throughout election day by asking thousands of people who they voted for at strategically chosen polling stations. In recent years, exit polls have given a reasonably accurate view of the choices the electorate has made.

Police officers have now escorted an activist away from a polling station in London after they stood there before Sir Keir Starmer arrived to vote.

The protester from animal rights group Peta was dressed as a bear and held a placard addressed to the Labour leader, saying: ‘Sir Keir: Save My Skin! Vote for Faux-Fur Caps’.

Click on the link below for This is Money's analysis of the political parties' manifestos and give our manifesto special podcast a listen back:

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria have arrived to cast their votes in the 2024 General Election at Willingham Close TRA Hall in London this morning:

Sir Keir Starmer needs a bigger swing than Sir Tony Blair's 1997 landslide to win a majority at the General Election, with his task made more difficult by changes to constituency boundaries.

The Labour leader must achieve a swing of 12.7 points from the Conservatives to become prime minister - larger than the 10.2 point swing that brought New Labour to power in 1997 and more than double the swing at any other election since 1945.

His task is made harder by the impact of the boundary changes, the first since 2010, which are intended to ensure that constituencies have similar numbers of voters.

This left Rishi Sunak defending a notional majority of 94, compared with the 80-seat margin actually secured by Boris Johnson's Conservatives in 2019 - although that was later diminished by by-election defeats, and MPs being suspended from the whip or defecting.

The new parliamentary constituencies were drawn up by the permanent and independent Boundary Commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and just 77 of the 650 Commons seats were left untouched.

Jeremy Corbyn has posted a photo of himself outside a polling station in his North London constituency.

The former Labour leader is running as an Independent in Islington North.

Mr Corbyn has won the seat for Labour at every general election since 1983, but is no longer a member of the party. The picture of him with thumbs up is captioned: 'Just voted for the independent candidate in Islington North. I heard he's alright.'

Earlier, he made an appeal for voters to help his campaign, saying: 'We have built this campaign from nothing. We don't have party machinery. We don't have big donors. We have something more powerful: people.'

A local resident offers tea to voters and members of the media outside a polling station in London this morning as ballots are cast:

DUP leader Gavin Robinson and his wife Lindsay have cast their ballots at Elim church in Dundonald in his east Belfast constituency.

Mr Robinson greeted waiting media as he arrived. 'Fresh and well you're looking,' he said. Leaving the polling station, he said he was glad to have voted before giving a thumbs up to photographers.

Ballots are now being cast in the General Election today as voters choose a new government, with opinion polls predicting a Labour landslide and a Tory washout.

Parties will be rallying to their respective causes as they attempt to get people out to the polls.

Millions of people across the UK will cast their vote between 7am and 10pm, with opinion polls suggesting Labour is on course to secure a large majority in the House of Commons and form a new government with Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister.

An exit poll, published shortly after 10pm tonight, will provide the first indication of how the election has gone on a national level.

The first of the 650 seats are likely to declare their results from 11.30pm, and counting will continue into the early hours of the morning. Thousands of electoral staff, candidates, party staff and journalists will be up all night as the results roll in.

While Labour are tipped to win the keys to 10 Downing Street, the outlook is much less clear in Scotland - with Labour looking to end more than a decade of SNP domination at Westminster.

John Swinney's party won 48 seats in 2019, while the Tories took six and the Liberal Democrats four. Labour was reduced to a single MP.

Sir Keir Starmer's party - led in Scotland by Anas Sarwar - has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years against a backdrop of turmoil for the Conservatives, putting Labour in pole position this time around.

But Scotland also boasts a number of the more intriguing local battles in this election. Read the full report from Michael Blackley in the Scottish Daily Mail:

Over in Northern Ireland, voting is under way in the General Election which involves several constituency battles that remain too close to call.

A total of 136 candidates are standing in the region's 18 constituencies.

All eyes will be on the race for the greatest number of seats, with the potential of Sinn Fein cementing its position as the largest party in Northern Ireland, having come out on top in the last Assembly and local council polls.

Sinn Fein, which ran a relatively low-key campaign, could secure first place by retaining the seven seats it already holds, if the DUP drops down from the eight seats it won in 2019.

Pictured: Early voters arrive at the Agape Centre in south Belfast.

An activist from animal rights group Peta dressed as a bear is holding a placard addressed to Sir Keir Starmer this morning outside a polling station in North London where the Labour leader is expected to vote later:

From a caravan in Cambridgeshire, to a shipping container in Battersea and even a Hindu temple in Wimbledon, there are a number of surprising places that have been made into makeshift polling stations this week.

Here, MailOnline shows you a glimpse of some of the most unusual:

SNP leader John Swinney has cast his vote at Burrelton Village Hall, Perthshire.

Accompanied by his 13-year-old son Matthew, the First Minister walked from his home to the polling station, greeting members of the media on the way in.

He also met his candidate Dave Doogan who is running in the Angus and Perthshire Glens constituency.

Rishi Sunak has appealed today to disaffected Tory voters to return to the fold to prevent a ‘socialist supermajority’ wrecking Britain.

Writing in the Daily Mail, the Prime Minister urged former Tory supporters considering staying at home today or voting Reform to lend their votes to the Conservatives again to stop Sir Keir Starmer winning unchecked power.

Read his full column on MailOnline here:

It's not just dogs at polling stations today - Heatherbelle Bates took her horse with her as she cast her vote in the Devon village of Holne this morning:

Kate Garraway has revealed that the only polling card posted through her door was for her late husband Derek Draper.

The Good Morning Britain host, 57, shared the heartbreaking news while speaking about how people can vote as the nation heads to the polls today.

Mr Draper, a former Labour party advisor, died aged 56 on January 3, following a long battle with Covid-19. Read the full story on MailOnline:

Among those voting this morning were monks from Sancta Maria Abbey in East Lothian, who were pictured visiting a polling station at Garvald Village Hall:

Polling stations opened for voters to have their say at the General Election today, which also means the return of the trend #dogsatpollingstations.

One pup named Mavis was pictured high-fiving the camera, with her owner writing on X: 'Paws up for change! Mavis feels getting in early is impawtent in Bury North on a day like this.'

Read the full story and see the best pictures on MailOnline today:

Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance has been spotted waiting in line to cast his vote in the 2024 General Election at Willingham Close TRA Hall in North London:

Voter turnout is not generally affected by weather conditions, records suggest.

According to the Parliament website, despite the last general election in 2019 being the wettest since records began in 1931, turnout was actually higher (67.3 per cent) than in 2001 (59.4 per cent) and 2005 (61.4 per cent) when polling day fell in June and May respectively.

The UK will see a national weather divide on General Election day, with 22C (72F) sunshine in southern England but 50mph winds and rain in the North and Scotland.

South-eastern parts of the country especially areas around London will experience the brightest and warmest weather today as voters head to polling stations.

But strong winds and chillier temperatures will hit further north as well as showers in West and North West Scotland, North West England and Northern Ireland.

Read the full story on MailOnline:

As millions of voters descend on polling stations today, Britons have answered the all-important question: Which election candidates would you Snog, Marry or Avoid?

MailOnline took to the streets and put Brits on the spot as they reluctantly picked between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Reform UK's Nigel Farage. Read the story and watch the videos here:

Rishi Sunak made the short journey from his grade II-listed manor house to vote at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in his Richmond constituency.

Mr Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrived in a Range Rover and walked hand-in-hand into the village hall, which is surrounded by rolling fields.

Swallows nesting in the eaves of the hall dipped over the heads of the waiting media while a dairy farmer next door turned out his cattle.

Mr Sunak, wearing a white shirt underneath a blue jumper, greeted the photographers outside the polling station.

He left without commenting and was driven away, followed by police protection officers.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty have arrived to cast their vote in the 2024 General Election at Kirby Sigston Village Hall in North Yorkshire:

Rishi Sunak said yesterday that 132,000 voters in the most tightly fought seats could decide whether the UK has a hung Parliament or Labour majority.

And DANIEL HANNAN argues today that this is why anyone who does not want to hand Sir Keir Starmer untrammelled power should carefully read this guide:

Photographs show the polling station team at the Agape Centre in south Belfast preparing the room ahead of voting opening in the 2024 General Election:

Polls have opened across the UK in today's general election after Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to prevent a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain.

From 7am until 10pm, millions of Britons will head to polling stations to cast their vote in the first Westminster contest since 2019. A series of opinion polls in the run-up to today have shown Labour on course for a huge landslide win.

Here is the full story from MailOnline's political correspondent Greg Heffer:

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, writing on social media site X as polls opened, said: 'Change. Today, you can vote for it.'

Ahead of 7am, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted a series of messages on the same site, which urged voters to 'stop the Labour supermajority'.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay, also writing on X, said: 'Today's the opportunity to vote for real hope and real change, in Waveney Valley, and across the country.'

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, posted an image asking people to 'vote with your heart', adding: 'Vote for real change today. Vote Reform UK.'

The SNP tweeted: 'Vote SNP to deliver independence, rejoin the EU, scrap the two-child benefit cap, invest in the just transition, protect free tuition.'

North of the border, Scotland's First Minister has urged 'every single SNP voter' to turn out today in what he said will be an 'incredibly close' contest throughout the country.

Addressing supporters at a pre-election rally in Leith yesterday evening, John Swinney said the Conservatives were going to be 'heavily defeated' by the Labour Party in England.

But he added that there were 'narrow margins' between Labour and the SNP north of the border.

After polling stations close at 10pm tonight, the counting process begins in 650 constituencies across the UK.

The crunch time will be between 3am and 4am when the bulk of the results will flood in. Read the full guide from MailOnline's deputy political editor David Wilcock:

Ending a campaign that was dominated by headline-catching stunts, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey drove off in a pink Cadillac convertible with his deputy Daisy Cooper after his last election campaign stop.

The Lib Dem leader gave a stump speech at Hammond's End Farm in Harpenden to the tune of ABBA's Take A Chance On Me.

Sir Ed said he had enjoyed the campaign, which saw him travel the entire length of the UK, cover 6,000 miles on the Lib Dem's Yellow Hammer One bus and bungee 160 feet.

He added: 'Communities are angry. The water companies have been allowed to pour their filthy sewage into our rivers, lakes and onto our beaches. This has to change. The Conservatives have got to go.'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the UK 'cannot afford' five more years under the Conservatives, adding Britain can 'begin a new chapter' under his party.

He said yesterday: 'Britain's future is on the ballot.'

Sir Keir was also cheered by activists as he spoke at a community centre in Redditch, Worcestershire, as his campaigning came to a close.

He said: 'That's what we are fighting for, let's continue that fight. If you want change, you have to vote for it.'

As the bookies' favourite to be the next prime minister, Sir Keir said he was pleased with Labour's campaign and his party was 'ready for what comes next'.

Britons should ensure they have the correct photo identification to vote before heading to the polling station today, the Electoral Commission has warned.

This year is the first time in the UK that everybody wanting to vote in person at a general election will have to show ID before receiving a ballot paper.

Not all types of photo ID will be accepted at polling stations, but a passport, driving licence or blue badge are valid. Read the full guide on MailOnline:

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said today represents a 'pivotal moment' for the country's future as he claimed Labour would 'wield their unchecked power' to increase taxes should they secure a 'supermajority'.

Mr Sunak was joined by his parents Usha and Yashvir Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, for the final stump speech of the election campaign yesterday evening.

He stood for a photo with his family after giving a speech at Romsey Rugby Club, north of Southampton where he grew up.

'This underdog will fight to the final whistle,' Mr Sunak said.

The Prime Minister called on Tory activists to continue campaigning, claiming they had 'urgent work to do' to 'save the UK' from a Labour government.

An exit poll, published shortly after 10pm tonight, will provide the first indication of how the election has gone on a national level.

These take place at polling stations across the UK, with tens of thousands of people asked to privately fill in a replica ballot as they leave, to get an indication of how they voted.

The first of the 650 seats are likely to declare their results from 11.30pm.

Polling stations all opened at 7am today - among them this one at Kirby Sigston in North Yorkshire, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to vote later.

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage as polling stations open for UK voters to have their say at the General Election after weeks of campaigning.

Millions of people will cast their vote between 7am and 10pm, with opinion polls suggesting Labour is on course to secure a big majority in the House of Commons.

Follow MailOnline’s live coverage for updates throughout today.